Adding Drip Irrigation to the Raised Bed

I learned almost everything I know about drip irrigation from the Rain Bird® web site: https://www.rainbird.com/. Resources include product information, videos, manuals, catalogs, and a reasonably priced design service. I also visited Home Depot to study the Rain Bird components they carry. Finally, I bought the Rain Bird Gardener’s Drip System Starter Kit, and experimented to see how everything works.

For the raised garden bed, the basic design includes two levels of irrigation – one outside the box to water herbs and shrubs, and one inside the box to water vegetables. The water source is a hose with a special faucet connection kit to prevent back flow.

Two levels of drip irrigation - one inside and
one outside the raised garden box.

The water source is a simple hose arrangement.
On the left, a faucet connection regulates
water flow and provides a filter.

The 1/2 inch brown emitter tubing includes emitters
built in at regular intervals.

Smaller 1/4 inch tubing takes water right to specific plants.
Special emitter connections and manifolds enable
you to vary water flow (1, 2, or 3 gallons per hour). 

By the end of last season, I determined I had too many emitters, and not enough water pressure. This season I plan to separate the two lines, so I can water outside and inside the garden box independently. One of these seasons I’ll add a rain harvesting system to complete the system.